The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, presented the city's Gold Medal for Sporting Merit to Rafel Niubó Baqué this Thursday. The award acknowledges his work as an "international benchmark in the field of sport, thanks to a successful model built on the values of inclusion, equality, health, and social cohesion, as a fundamental pillar in the citizens' lifestyle".
The ceremony, held in the Saló de Cent, was attended by the Councilor for Sports, David Escudé, among other officials. Mayor Collboni emphasized that Niubó's passion for sports practice is the common thread of his professional life and that his way of understanding sport has elevated both him and the city.
Collboni highlighted that Niubó's vision sees sport as an entry point for everyone, starting with grassroots and popular sports.
Rafel Niubó Baqué (Barcelona, 1956) is a co-founder of the Escola d'Iniciació Esportiva de les Corts and the Unió Barcelonesa d’Activitats Esportives (UBAE), where he served as general director. He was part of the European Union's Sport Forum and chaired the European Confederation of Sport and Health (1995-2003).
Subsequently, he was Secretary General for Sport of the Generalitat de Catalunya (2004-2006), promoting Catalan representative teams. He also served as Secretary General of the Vice-Presidency of the Generalitat Government (2006-2011). Niubó is the author of the book "Barcelona i l’esport, un model d’èxit" (2025) and a member of the Municipal Council for Sport of the Barcelona City Council.
